Links

These links are to a small number of websites which are relevant to my main current concerns. Their selection does not imply that they are more important than others, just that they can provide a way into the huge range of potentially relevant material now on the Internet. They are listed under four overlapping headings.

Towards a More Just and Sustainable World

Sharing the Value of Common Resources

Monetary Reform

Democratic Strategies for Change

Towards a More Just and Sustainable World

Schumacher Society (UK) - promotes human scale sustainable development as a necessary alternative to globalisation and ever remoter structures of political governance and corporate power. Wide-ranging agenda.

Lectures, Briefings, Awards, Newsletters, etc.

Also good links to other Schumacher Circle organisations - Intermediate Technology Development Group, Soil Association, New Economics Foundation, Schumacher College, Green Books, Centre for Alternative Technology, and Resurgence Magazine.

New Economics Foundation - independent "think-and-do tank". 2002 "Think-tank of the year".

Inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being. Works in partnership to put people and planet first. Wide-ranging agenda. Aims to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions. Many practical projects at local level.

Also challenges mainstream thinking on larger economic, environmental and social issues - climate change, poor-country debt, etc.

The Commons - pioneers new concepts for activists, community groups, entrepreneurs and businesses committed to long-term collaboration for a more sustainable and more just world - at the risk of "increasing the uncomfort zone for hesitant administrators and politicians". Wide-ranging agenda.

Centre for Human Ecology - stimulates and supports fundamental change towards ecological sustainability and social justice through education, action and research. Scottish and international focus.

CHE's approach, e.g. in degree and MSc courses, is based on understanding that ecological sustainability and social justice are inextricably linked and that fundamental change depends on action at the levels of the individual, community and society.

South Africa New Economics (SANE) Network - challenges the way economics tends to reduce people to economic agents, the environment to property, social institutions to markets, and progress to growth in production.

Encourages research and dialogue on alternative economic theories and practices designed to promote social equity and justice, community self-reliance and ecological sustainability - especially South Africa and similar countries. Basic income and local currencies in rural areas are among their proposals.

Foundation for the Economics for Sustainability (FEASTA) - active and exciting programme to identify the characteristics (economic, cultural and environmental) of a truly sustainable society, articulate how the necessary transition can be effected and promote the implementation of the measures required. It has both an Irish and international focus.

Forum for the Future - the Forum aims to help its partners in Business, Government and Education & Learning to become more sustainable.

Its many programmes include: Centre for Sustainable Investment, Directory of Sustainability in Practice, Forum Business Programme, Sustainable Economy Programme, Green Futures magazine, and The Natural Step (UK).

Policy Studies Institute - the Environment Group at PSI analyses the socio-economic causes of environmental impacts and the policies that may ameliorate them. It undertakes policy-relevant research with a view to contributing to the maintenance and enhancement of the environment's contribution to human welfare, now and in the future. Its interdisciplinary approach recognises the interaction at every level between the environment, the economy and society generally.

The Green Economics Institute, launched in the House of Commons on 12 July 2005, undertakes and encourages study and  discussion of perspectives, methods, tools and instruments, to facilitate benign change in the way people are affected by the economy and their relationship to it. It is now (April 2006) well into its stride, with conferences already held and planned for the future.

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Sharing the Value of Common Resources

Earth Rights Institute - promotes policies and programmes, including Land Value Taxation, in the USA and elsewhere in the world which enlarge democratic rights to common heritage resources. Supports the building of ecological communities.

A member organisation of the International Union for Land Value Taxation, a United Nations NGO based in London and a NGO stakeholder of the UN Commission for Sustainable Development.

Henry George Foundation - an independent economic and social justice think tank and public education group, which explores and promotes principles for a just and prosperous society and a healthy environment; advocates equitable sharing of the value of land and other common resources as the main source of public revenue.

Redefining Progress - among other projects, Redefining Progress proposes a new agenda for common prosperity based on our common assets.

These include tangible assets such as public forests and minerals, intangible wealth such as copyrights and patents, critical infrastructure like the Internet and government research, and cultural resources such as broadcast airwaves and public spaces. Collectively, these assets are the basis for our common wealth. 

Green Budget Coalition - Coalition of Canadian NGOs that promotes ecological fiscal reform (EFR) to create an environmentally sustainable economy. Objectives include making polluters pay, and rewarding those who take active steps towards a more sustainable economy through measures such as eco-efficiency and reliance on renewable energy.

Green Budget Germany - "Tax Bads, Not Goods". Newsletter, eco-tax information on-line, experts and links on Ecological Tax Reform. International coverage.

Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) - formerly Basic Income European Network. A basic (or citizen's) income is an income unconditionally granted to all on an individual basis, without means test or work requirement.

Members of BIEN include policy-makers, academics, activists and students from around the world. Common to all is the belief that some sort of economic right based upon citizenship must be part of the just solution to social problems in advanced societies.

Informative newsletter, and two-yearly international congresses on the relevance of a basic income to such themes as unemployment, poverty, development, changing patterns of work and family life, and principles of social justice.

Citizens Income Trust - promotes debate on the feasibility of a citizen's income by running seminars and conferences, publishing a newsletter and other publications, maintaining a library of resources, and responding to requests for information.

The Global Basic Income Foundation based in the Netherlands advocates the introduction of a global basic income, which guarantees every man, woman and child the means to live. It links the idea of common ownership of the earth with the case for a basic income.

The U.S. Basic Income Guarantee Network publishes an email newsletter every two months, maintains an on-line discussion paper series, and has yearly conferences.

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Monetary Reform

netary Reform

American Monetary Institute (AMI) - dedicated to the study of monetary history, monetary theory and monetary reform.

Presents research results understandable by citizens, supporting monetary reforms aiming at economic justice and a more equitable and efficient functioning of government, instead of allowing special financial privileges for the few to be quietly determined behind the scenes by the structure of a society's monetary system.

Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform (COMER) - an information resource for economists, activists, policymakers, academics, and people interested in evaluating contemporary monetary and economic policies.

"Because of the way in which money is created, our largest federal expenditure (in Canada) is the interest on the debt, called 'the public debt interest'. COMER contributes to the development of economic theory that will help the world out of the present blind alley."

Prosperity - a monthly Money Reform journal from Scotland. Spreads understanding about the nature of our debt-based money system, and campaigns for publicly-created debt-free money.

Good links to other resources on monetary reform.

Re-inventing Money - the approach developed on this site is that the money system should be based on private initiative, openness, and voluntary participation - seen as the foundations for economic democracy.

The material on the site explains and supports free market, non-governmental, non-monopoly exchange options, in short, free money and free banking . It also provides numerous links to a variety of significant sources relating to the community currency and private exchange movement.

Complementary Currency Resource Center - a very useful source of information and guidance, including over 140 other relevant links. Also relevant are www.basicincome.be and www.socialcurrency.be.

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Democratic Strategies for Change

International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO) - ISPO proposes a peaceful, yet revolutionary, political tool that aims to empower voters everywhere to compel politicians to commit nations to implement global solutions simultaneously.

Then nations and corporations will not have to go it alone and risk losing out from international industrial and financial competition. Global warming, socially and environmentally irresponsible corporate globalisation, unfair trade and other problems can be dealt with by making our elected governments simultaneously take the necessary steps to tackle them. 

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